News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-07-21
Arson Peaslso Kee1er Stafford.
An extract from the forthcoming History OF
Hyde Park.

HlStOrN
Hyde Park.
The Saffords came from the nursery
Of all the SaffOrdS in this country. IpS-
Wich, Mass, to Bennington, Vt, in 1861. |
In 1885 David Stafford removed from
Bennington to Cambridge. His son,
Joseph w. Stafford, came to MOrristOWn
some time previously to 1918, and to
HYDE Park in 1924. The land records of
the town show that he purchased real
estate here III 1918, but he is then
described as ''Of MOrriStOWn. - In 1924
he bought, of Samuel CrOWell, so acres
Of lot No. | in 1St Division, right of
Robert Hallem. Upon this lot he built
a house where he lived for twelve years.
The house, the SuperStructure OF which
has long since disappeared, was located
a little west of the little brook that
crosses the Johnson road west of Nathan
farm house, north of the
road and few rods back from it.
Remains Of the cellar mark the spot.
Here, Feb. IA, 1882. the subject of this
sketch was born. lie remembers at
tending school in that district for one or
two termS-prObably only one. In 1887,
Joseph W., induced by the persuasion
of friends who had preceded him to that
then supposed better country, removed
with his family to Crete, viii county,
Illinois, about 35 miles south of Chicago.
The family then consisted of himself
and wife. whose maiden name was
Diantha p Little, and five children;
Anna Submit, Joseph Brewster, Alfred
Brewster, Arson Z. K, and Mary Jane,
who are here named in the order of their
ages. Arson and Mary j. alone survive.
The maiden name of their fathers
mother was Anna Brewster.
In the selection of his land for settle
ment in Crete, Joseph was influenced by
his love for Vermont, and chose quar-
ter section upon which he found run
ming water, and some Typographical
features slightly resembling his old
home, 1t proved an unfortunate Selec-
ton. The soil was inferior to the sur
rounding prairie. BY the time he became
convinced of the error of his choice, the
most desirable lands in the town had
been taken up by actual settlers or seized
by spectators, and he was obliged to
buy at a greatly advanced price, and
agree to pay 100 per cent. interest upon
such part as he could not pay for at
once. The whole region was malariOuS.
The family, i'll common with their neigh
bOrS, suffered much from intermittant
fevers. The whole landscape was emily
ened with rattle-Snakes. Often, Arson
SAYS, did he tread upon them with his
bare feet, but was never bitten. The
fathers agricultural implements were
very poor and i'll adapted to the work
required. For ten years the family Suf
fered from disease, poverty and even
hunger, more than we will repeat. In
1913 Joseph Stafford Succumbed to the
fever and died, and in 1919 his wife fol-
lowed. During these years Arson had
worked nine months in the year on the
farm 9ttnn1n1
school three months each winter. The
last two years he had made shift to go
to Joliet, where he found a somewhat
better school, He did chores for his
board, and his clothes being hOmeSpun
and OF a butternut color, his school
mates dubbed him yellow breecheS. !"
However he made his point by his good
The school being over
crowded, and he being an " outsider"
the committee ordered the teacher, one
Stone, to turn him out" Stone replied
that if compelled to turn out that boy,
who, he said, was all grit and brains, he
would resign. The committee allowed
the teacher to have his way. Stone not
beng able to teach algebra, Arson OBJ
tanned instruction, in extra hours. from
Hon. Jesse 0. Norton, then a rising
lawyer in Joliet and afterwards promi-
nent in our national councils. The
death of his father and mother threw
the responsibility Of the farm and family
upon him, mostly, although he was the
youngest son. In the fall of 1913 he
drove to Chicago, then a small village,
with an OK team and load of truck to
sell. When driving through the town.
a person whom he remembered seeing
in Crete once or twice, but otherwise a
stranger, mounted his cart and began to
ask him questions about his prosperity.
Stafford replied that he got along but
poorly; that his father was dead, his
mother i'll, himself unable to raise much
and that he could not find much market
for the little surplus he raised. The
gentleman asked him-or rather babe
him-when he had disposed of his truck
and cared for his team, to come and see
him. He did so. The Stran ger address,
ed him about like this: = Boy, see you
are trying to do something, but you've
got nothing to do with nead bat
ter implements" Stafford replied that
he had no means of getting them,
- That's just it," said his friend, you
never aeW have if you keep on the way
your father did; Come with me-" He
went with him to an agricultural nipple
ment store. There, boy, you Just
select what tools you want, and III see
that you pay for Them He selected
about $40 worth, including q good plOw
to break prairie land with. The debt
already looked large to him. Did you
ever see a Mccormick reaper?" asked his
friend. He never had. Come with
me, III show you one" lie went and
after explaining the machine to him his
friend said: There, you must have
that" The boy replied that he never
could pay for it in his life. . Yes you
can, boy" was the reply. Il know you
better than you know yourself. You
won't be long paying for it, either. !"
Arrived home the next evening he met
with warmer reception than he antici-
pated. His brother denounced his folly
in strong terms; predicted his ruin and
refused all partnership or participation
i'll the eXtraVagant investment. Arson
cheerfully excused him, and i'll less than
six months had discharged the debt.
By 1850 he had made up his mind not to
spend his life on the farm. He took the
California fever. Although all kinds of
obstacles were placed in his way by his
brothers, the tears of his little sister
Mary were the hardest obstacle for him
to overcome. Believing that he was act
ing for her good, however, as well as his
own, he went. With five others, all
inexperienced boys, overland to CallfOr-
MIA in 1850!
/ will pass over it, except to say that
it was another school of training which
developed further the manly, Self-relient
soul of the boy. Arrived at Sacramento,
he sold his entire outfit and realized
three hundred dollars and SeVenty-fiVe
cents. He began to think very tenderly
of his little sister Mary, who was all the
world then seemed to hold of his. So he
made up package for her, sending her
the $500, and keeping the Is cents to
begin life with in California. He very
soon found that Is cents was just half
enough to pay for his next meal of black
bread, coffee and rank smelling pork.
By telling the landlord in advance that
that was the extent Of his means, and
he being only a little bit of fellow, he
got the meal. He did not get another
meal until he had washed gold enough
out of the middle fork of the American
River to pay for it. He was offered IS
Il day now for his labor, but refused to
accept it, though he was yet unable to
make more than three dollars day in
mining. He had come to California he
said to work for himself. Three dollars
day would keep him alive, and he
wanted to learn how to do it. He did
learn. In three years he commenced
trade. In 1856 ana 1857 his constituents
insisted upon his representing Placer
county i'll the Legislature. Here he
assisted in shaping some of the most
important early legislation Of the state
About 1860 he removed to San Francisco
and remained two years. ''Tiring of
civilization he went to Nevada; built
town; made it the county seat OF
Humboldt county, and was made county
recorder. Nevada being wild with the
mining excitement, this Office was i'm
l,nan Il.